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Curtin Graduate Attributes: An Exploratory Study on Business

Graduates in Curtin Sarawak

Poh Yen, Ng

Shamsul Kamariah, AbdullahPai Hwa, Nee

Nga Huong, Tiew

Chin Shin, Choo

School of Business

Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Campus

Abstract

Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) is thefirst offshore campus of Curtin University of Technology, Australia. This campus has

similar programs, syllabus and delivery quality as the main campus. Hence, CurtinSarawak thrives to pursue an identified set of Curtin Graduate Attributes developed

by Curtin University of Technology. From 1999 till now, the School of Business

Curtin Sarawak has produced thousands of graduates for Malaysian workforce. Thisstudy aims to find out the degree to which Curtin Sarawak Business graduates have

demonstrated Curtin Graduate Attributes in the workforce. For the benefits of Curtin

graduates employers, this study serves as a channel to evaluate the importance level

of the Curtin Graduate Attributes in meeting their organization needs. Based on thenine Curtin Graduate Attributes: Applying discipline knowledge, Thinking skills,

Information skills, Communication skills, Technology skills, Learning how to learn,International perspective, Cultural understanding and Professional skills, a surveyquestionnaire is developed. This questionnaire is mailed to the employers of Curtin

Sarawak Business graduates. Employers evaluate Curtin Sarawak Business Graduates

work performance according to the nine attributes as well as rating the importancelevel of each attribute meeting their organization needs. The findings from this study

can be a significant help to the university and industries at improving human capital

capabilities.

Keywords: Graduates Attributes, Business Graduates, Employability

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INTRODUCTION

In a survey conducted in 2004 by the Central Bank of Malaysia, involving 312

companies, 77.6% of the respondents were of the view that Malaysian graduates lack therequired skills to function effectively at the workplace. This issue has been one of the

debated issues discussed among the academia in Malaysia, and other regions. Malaysia

needs an education system that is market-driven in order to produce work-readygraduates. The focus towards producing a work-ready graduates should be on graduate

attributes geared towards empowering graduates to thrive in the 21st century workplace

and to function as productive and responsible citizens. In a knowledge-based economy,graduates must bring more than technical knowledge to the job. According to the Dearing

Report(NCIHE, 1997) the primary purpose of higher education is to prepare students for

the world of work. Graduates need to be given opportunities to develop generic attributes

besides disciplinary knowledge. Generic attributes include communication skills,problem-solving skills, computer literacy, information literacy, ability and willingness to

learn, and teamwork.

The Higher Education (HE) Institutions in Malaysia (public and private institutions) areaware that todays employers are looking for more than just a degree qualification.

Academic qualifications alone no longer guarantee that an individual will get a job.School/colleges and universities should be a place where students grow intellectually

(cognitive competence), morally (character education), socially (interpersonal skills), and

personally (self-reliant, self confident, resilient and a life long learner). Previous research

conducted on graduate employment addressed generic competencies as skills, abilitiesand attributes that complement the field of specialization of employees for work

performance (Day, 1988; Sandberg, 1991; Sohal, 1997; & Mitchell, 2003 cited in Quek,

2005). It was noted that employers prefer workers who had generic competencies likeinterpersonal skills, and leadership skills, teamwork, oral and written skills (Lee et al,

2001, cited in Quek, 2005).

Most academia in Malaysia feel that the education system is only concerned with results.

It does not measure what a person knows; it measures what one has to study and not what

one can actually do. The examination system makes schools competitive, and some evenset targets for the number of As the school should obtain in a particular exam. This has

the effect of making the teachers teach only what is required for the examinations. Since

the last Malaysian Education Summit in 2004, the debate continues as to whether the

graduates are well equipped with knowledge and also ready for the industrys demand(work-ready graduates). The demand for workforce is there but is not fully met, as there

is not much supply (the quality and expertise being asked for is not there). This issue has

to be turned to the education system and the curriculum being designed. Is it preparingthe students with the necessary skills? Has it achieved the objectives set in the course?

What about the students learning outcomes? These are the processes in Teaching and

Learning, and part of the process is the way the assessment strategies are designed andwhether the instructional strategies and the students learning experience compensate

with what the course is designed for. It was again reported that there were plenty of jobs

but many graduates cannot fit into the positions because they lacked the necessary skills

(language and communication skills) that their prospective employers were looking for.

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In the early 1990s, tertiary education in some countries typically contained curricular

materials that were far less accustomed to the interests of employers in the workplace.

The curriculum put strong emphasis on scholastic outcomes in the academic achievementof graduates (Mason, 1992; Chew et al, 1995, Lee, 2000 cited in Quek, 2005). This view

is supported by the Higher Education Ministry of Malaysia (HEMM), that unemployment

among graduates is due to the lack of generic competencies in undergraduates program;there was lack of application of classroom learning in the tertiary education to the

workplace performance. This gap has resulted in the graduates having difficulties in

seeking employment. In a research conducted by McHardy and Henderson (1994), aknowledge/skills matrix was develop to facilitate the gap that might occur in the

transition of knowledge and skills during which the students are undergoing their process

of learning. The matrix has helped educators to see the changes that need to be made to

the pedagogic technique (lectures, presentation, and tutorial activities). The integration ofcreativity into business education aids students in preparing for the creative workplace

environments that are becoming more common as organizations seek to develop creative

competencies as one of their few sustainable competitive advantages in todays

marketplace (Driver, 2001).

A degree alone is not enough to succeed in todays competitive job market. In a surveyreported by the BBC, four out of 10 large employers in the United Kingdom struggled to

fill graduate vacancies because of a shortage of applicants with the right skills. Another

study done by Monash University in Australia, showed that more than one-third of

foreign students graduated from Australian universities had very poor English skills(Azizan, 2007). According to the study, all graduates tested had enough command of the

language to cope with most situations but were still not capable of conducting a

sophisticated discourse at a professional level The study reported that 23.5% of studentsfrom Malaysia did not meet the required English standard.

Many universities nowadays, have adopted an outward-looking approach, and workclosely with industries and employers. The Australia-based universities (Griffith

University, University of Canberra, University of South Australia, and Curtin University

of Technology) and the UK based such as, University of Leeds, University of Leicesterand in the United States, for example, University of Texas and University of Pittsburg

have identified specific generic competencies that graduates should develop to enhance

their employability. The Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Northwestern

University) treated students as partners. The university worked closely with theindustries and has introduced 50 new courses since 1995 to keep pace with the changes in

the business world. Similarly, National University of Singapores Business School is also

providing a rigorous, relevant and rewarding business education that develops leaders forthe global marketplace.

The background presented earlier, showed that the issue of the graduates employabilityhas long been discussed and the debate still continues. With the world of employment

moving rapidly, traditional career path is no longer the best choice. The entire industries

are looking for excellent worker who are able to compete with the ever challenging

environment. With the demand of better-qualified workforce, Higher Education (HE)

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experts need to give more emphasis in developing skills compatible to the industry

demand. One of the tools used to develop the skills would be the academic curriculum,

which is a vehicle through which attributes can be transferred during the classroomlearning that would prepare graduates when they enter the workforce (Fallows et al,

2000).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Definition of Employability

Employability has been used as a performance indicator for higher education institutions(Smith et al, 2000) and represents a form of work specific (pro) active adaptability that

consists of three dimensions: career identity, personal adaptability and social and human

capital (Fugate et al, 2004). At the same time, Knight and Yorke (2004) have put forward

the four broad and interlocking components of USEM account of employability:

Understanding (of the subject discipline)

Skillful practices in context

Efficacy beliefs

Metacognition

Nabi (2003) mentioned that employability is about graduates possessing an appropriatelevel of skills and attributes, and being able to use them to gain and remain in appropriate

employment. From a human resource development view, employability is a concept that

emerged through the 1990s along with a growing perception among employees that theycannot count on their employers for long-term employment. Employability is a promise

to employees that they will have the skills to find new jobs quickly if their jobs end

unexpectedly (Baruch, 2001). Prior to this, Harvey (2001) has defined employability in

various ways from individual and institutional perspectives. Individual employability isdefined as graduates being able to demonstrate the attributes to obtain jobs. Commonly,

institutional employability relates to the employment rates of the university graduates.However, Harvey argued that employment outcomes of graduates are not an indicator ofinstitutional employability. He presented an employability-development model shown in

Figure 1. The model illustrated a multi-perspectives view of employability with all

related stake-holders.

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Figure 1: A model of Employability-Development and Employment (Harvey, 2001)

Early Employment Problems of GraduatesCourtis and Zaid (2002) identified six major early employment problems for Australia

accounting graduates: application of theoretical studies, comprehension of

responsibilities, working in a team, communication with others, personal and report

writing. Most problems arise due to expectation gap between employee and employers.One of the suggested reasons for problem is the lack of coordination between tertiary

institutions and employers. This is supported by an earlier study of Zaid and Abraham

(1994) where it was found that 51% of employers and 16% of academics believed thatthere was insufficient coordination in the development of academic curriculum. Clarkes

study (1997) also showed that the employers have consistently failed to forecast and

unaware to channel their requirements to the education system to produce the workready graduates to meet the dynamic job market.

Wong and Hamali (2006) examined the main issues on graduate employment in Malaysiausing empirical evidence obtained from annual reports published by various government

ministries as well as a tracer study conducted in 2002 on Diploma in Banking graduatesfrom MARA University Technology, Sarawak. The tracer study intended to assess the performance of a group of young working graduates by obtaining their feedback

regarding the relevancy of subjects offered by the programs in university. The findings

showed that there was a discrepancy between graduates skills and the requirements of job market. Though the graduates were trained to take up mid level management

positions, and more than 40% of the respondents were in junior administrators or lower

position.

Higher

Education

Institutions

Graduate

Employability

development

opportunities

Experience andextra-curricular

activity

Employability

Employer

Employment

Recruitment

procedures

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According to Labour Force Survey (2005), 63,000 graduates were unemployed in

Malaysia. Among the unemployed graduates, the highest number of unemployment is

business graduates. There are about 17,800 business graduates have difficulties in findingemployment. The executive director of the Malaysian Employers Federation,

Shamsuddin Bardan (The Malay Mail, 2007) pointed out that graduates lack of

communication and social skills, and the poor command of English are main reasons ofgraduates unemployment.

Generic Attributes And Skills of GraduatesKnoblauch and German (1989) outlined few most highly sought after attributes by

employers for Cornell University Applied Economics and Business Management

graduates. The attributes were enthusiasm, self-starting ability, general ability, workingwith others, oral communication and preparedness for the job. Sparks and Bradley (1994)

also discovered that employers from hospitality industry places greater emphasis upon

the graduates practical skills, level of commitment and ability to deliver high levels ofservice. They have conducted survey on 197 hotels managers working in hotels

comprising 75 rooms or more in Australia.

Nevertheless, in Clarkes (1997) study based on 40 chief executives or managing

directors from manufacturing and services industries under the Industry and Parliament

Trusts Study Group on Employability, United Kingdom, concluded that employers are

actually looking for the graduates who possess attributes of long life learning, flexibilityand adaptability to changes as well as some generic skills of communication, teamwork,

initiative, problem solving and decision making.

After Clarkes finding, Crosling and Ward (2002) carried out an extensive survey of

employers of Monash University business graduates confirmed that the significant role of

oral communication in the workplace. They further pointed that emphasis in universityprimarily on formal presentation is not an adequate preparation for workplace oral

communication. The most often used forms of oral communication are informal work-

related discussions, listening and following instructions and informal conversations.

Crebert et al (2004) presented the findings of Griffith Graduate Project. Under this

project, graduates were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the contributions the

learning contexts of university, work placement and post-graduation employment madeto the development of their generic skills. It was found that graduates recognized the

university contribution towards generic skills development and they valued the

experience of job placement and subsequently in employment. The findings identified theimportance of teamwork, being given responsibility and collaborative learning as main

factors for developing generic skills. Graduate labor market is becoming increasingly

diverse and fragmented through changes in the design and structures of jobs. Jobs arebecoming more demanding through work intensification practices such as multi-skilling,

using of information technology and other employability skills such as social,

communication and problem-solving skills (CSU 2000).

Besides studies from overseas supported that graduates generic attributes are required in

the job market, the local studies also conclude that the local graduates must have generic

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attributes to acquire job in Malaysia. This is proven by an earlier press release by the

Malaysian manufacturing and service sectors expressing the view that most employers

were unfavourably inclined to employing graduates who did not have generic attributes(New Straits Time, 1998, cited in Quek 2005). Recently, Quek (2005) conducted a case

study on a group of graduate employers (n=35) in Malaysia. In the study, the employers

expressed the important of interpersonal skills, knowledge-acquiring skills, flexibility,value-improving skills, practical orientation abilities and cognitive skills as major

contributors toward success in work performance. With all these attributes, Malaysian

graduates will be more able to transfer learning from the classrooms to the workplace forsuccess in work performance.

Therefore, the higher education institutions are having tremendous challenges in

developing employability enhancing attributes and knowledge, and making graduatesready for market demand (CSU 1998, cited in Nabi 2003). To achieve the objective,

Johnston and Watson (2004) suggested that to have an influential combination of forces

in renovating curriculum and the interface between educators, students and graduate

employers which the higher education providers should shift from an academic-ledsupply model, to an employer-led demand model. This is also supported by Masons

et al study (2003) which concluded to enhance graduates employability, students needwork experience during courses and employers need to involve in designing course and

delivery.

To produce employability graduates, universities must initiate to integrate basic generic

attributes which are required by the employers and incorporate and effectively implement

them in the course work. For example, Curtin University of Technology, Curtin BusinessSchool (CBS) undertook a Professional skills Project to compile feedback from

representatives from 7 disciplines, employers, students, the Centre for Educational

Advancement (CEA), and the library to identify seven professional skills and developthem in the form of learning outcome objectives : communication (divided into writing,

presenting and speaking out), computer literacy, information literacy, team working,

decision making, critical thinking including problem-solving, and ethical and inter-

cultural dimensions (Harpe et al 2000). Nijenrode University had also identified similar5 general skills which are required for effective functioning of managers such as

communication skills, analytical and information-management skills, problem-solving

skills, decision-making skills and valuing and social interaction and leadership skills(Everwijn, Bomers and Knubben, 1993).

It was reported in one of the researches (Bennett et al 1999) that employers were looking

for manpower that has the ability to think, learn and adapt. All these are attributes that

form the generic core competencies. If higher education is to meet the needs of theeconomy and the individual, it must seek actively to develop these generic corecompetencies. At the same time, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen has developed a

set of generic level learning outcomes templates which specify the levels that students

should attain in the four areas identified by Lord Dearing which are knowledge andunderstanding, key skills, cognitive skills and subject-specific skills (Ellington, 1999).

Furthermore, Barrie (2001) indicates that the generic graduate attributes will directly

relate the graduate outcomes to the employability.

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Students, employers and government bodies expect that undergraduate university degrees

will equip students, not only with the specific knowledge, skills and attributes of their

field, but also with the professional and personal attributes relevant to their field of study(Scoufis, 2000). Therefore, Curtin University of Technology has developed nine Curtin

Graduates Attributes shown in Figure 2.

Curtins graduate

attributes

Brief description

1. Apply disciplineknowledge, principles

and concepts

Apply discipline knowledge, understand its theoreticalunderpinnings, and ways of thinking; Extend the boundaries of

knowledge through research.

2. Think critically,

creatively and

reflectively

Apply logical and rational processes to analyse the components

of an issue; Think creatively to generate innovative solutions.

3. Access, evaluate and

synthesise information;

Decide what information is needed and where it might be found

using appropriate technologies; Make valid judgements andsynthesise information from a range of sources.

4. Communicate

effectively

Communicate in ways appropriate to the discipline, audience and

purpose

5. Use technologies

appropriately

Use appropriate and emerging technologies recognising their

advantages and limitations.

6. Use lifelong

learning skills

Use a range of learning strategies; Take responsibility for ones

own learning and development; Sustain intellectual curiosity;know how to continue to learn as a graduate.

7. Recognise and apply

international

perspectives

Think globally and consider issues from a variety of

perspectives; Apply international standards and practices within a

discipline or professional area.8. Demonstrate culturalawareness and

understanding

Respect individual human rights; Recognise the importance ofcultural diversity particularly the perspective of indigenous

Australians; Value diversity of language.

9. Apply professional

skills

Work independently and in teams; Demonstrate leadership,

professional behaviour and ethical practices

Figure 2: Curtin Graduates Attributes

According to Graduates Attributes Policy at Curtin University of Technology, students

are expected to develop these nine attributes while studying at Curtin. GraduatesAttributes can be defined as the qualities, skills and understandings a university

community agrees its students should develop during their time with the institution.

These attributes include, but go beyond, the disciplinary expertise or technical knowledgethat has traditionally formed the core of most university courses. They are qualities that

also prepare graduates as agents for social good in an unknown future (Bowden et al

2000). The purpose of this policy is to ensure that graduates produced by Curtin

University are able to fulfill the needs of industry. It is hopeful that what is been taught inclass will have to be a par (if not the same) with what the industry are looking. Industry

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as one of the education stakeholders will have to be involved in the curriculum design.

This will then help to match what is being produce and the consumers (employers)

need.

In short, there have been many literatures done on designing course curriculum, generic

attributes requirements and outcomes assessment. However, there are very few empiricalstudies discuss on measuring the graduates attributes demonstrated in the Malaysian

workforce. Therefore, this study will serve as an exploratory research for an Australian

offshore campus graduate attributes in meeting the local industry needs.

METHODOLOGY

Data Collection

The population of this study is all employers of Curtin Sarawak Campus Business

Graduates since 2001. The sample of this study will be taken from employers, whomtheir employees are Curtin Sarawak Campus Business graduates who have graduated

between the years 2001 to 2006. The first batch of graduates from Curtin University,

Sarawak Campus was in the year 2001.

The researchers will send questionnaires to all employers who have offered and are still

offering employment opportunities to Curtin Sarawak Business graduates. Therefore, the

sample for this study will comprised of employers whom Curtin Graduates are currentlyworking for.

A self-administered specific study designed questionnaire will be used in this study. Aquestionnaire is used for this study mainly because most of the questions asked are in the

form of 5-point response format and close ended questions. Therefore, no close

interaction such as interview is needed. The questionnaire consists of 35 items. Two ofthese are to collect company background, where the students are currently working at.

The rest of the items are designed to measure how well the competencies of the students

in the working environment match the graduate attributes constructed by Curtin

University. The graduate attributes that will be included in the questionnaire are thinkingcritically, evaluating information, communicating effectively, using technology

appropriately, utilizing lifelong learning, recognizing international perspective and

demonstrating cultural awareness and understanding.

The questionnaire also includes two open-ended questions. The first question seeks

employers opinions on the aspects that make a university program more relevant toindustry needs, while the second question seeks employers opinion on producing

graduates who are competent and employable.

The final draft of the questionnaire will be validated by conducting a pilot test. The pilot

test will be conducted to ensure clarity and clear understanding of the items listed in the

questionnaire. The sample of this pilot study will be done among fellow colleagues in

Curtin University.

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During annual Graduation Ceremony, graduates are requested to fill in the Tracer Study

Survey conducted by Curtin Counseling Centre and Employment Information Sheet by

School of Business. Besides that, Curtin Counseling Centre also serves as anEmployment Posting Centre for Graduates with information of companies that have

offered or offering employment opportunities to Business Graduates. This study will be

using the employment and company records provided by both parties to conduct aquestionnaire survey. The questionnaire will be mailed to all employers of Curtin

Sarawak Business graduates. Self-paid envelope will be included along with the survey.

A month after the questionnaires have been posted, follow-up phone calls will be

conducted. All questionnaires received will be shredded upon completion of the research.

This is to protect any confidential data that are pertained in the questionnaires.

Data Analysis

All data collected from the questionnaires will be analyzed using SPSS statistical

software. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze the data followed by t-tests. For

the individual items 1 to 22 in section 1, the answers will be compared with the overallresults in item 23 using t-test. This is to check whether there is any significant difference

between each item 1 to 22 with the overall results. Then, an average mark will becalculated for items 1 to 22 and the average result will be compared with the overall

result using t-test as well.

For section 2 of the questionnaire, items 1 to 9 will be compared individual with theoverall result collected from item 10 in section 2 using t-test in order to check for any

significant difference. This is followed by an average calculation for items 1 to 9 and then

compared with the overall result from item 10 using t-test. Answers received from theopen ended questions will be written down and summarized.

CONCLUSION

This research has been funded by Curtin Sarawak Research Fund in January 2008. It is an

on-going project for duration of a year. It is hopeful that the research will provide the benefits to the institution. Expected impacts of conducting this research includes

providing preliminary views on whether Curtin Sarawak Business graduates demonstrate

the attributes listed in Curtin Graduate Attributes at their workplace. With the results

collected, Curtin Sarawak can propose appropriate measures to realign CBS curriculumto match with local industry needs with employers feedback on Curtin Graduate

Attributes. Besides that, the university can also adapt demand driven teaching and

learning strategies to produce work-ready business graduates for local workforce.

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